Folding pedestal for railway cars



March 29, 1966 A, M. BQONE 3,242,880

FOLDING PEDESTAL FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Jan. 29, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A M U N L INVENTOR.

ARTHURM BOO/VE A. M. BOONE 3,242,880

FOLDING PEDESTAL FOR RAILWAY CARS March 29, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 29, 1964 ,-1fi v v 92 mvsmon ARTHUR M BOO/V5 March 29, 1966 A. M. BOONE FOLDING PEDESTAL FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Jan. 29, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ARTHUR M BOONE forces applied thereto.

United States Patent 3,242,880 FOLDING PEDESTAL FOR RAILWAY CARS Arthur M. Boone, Michigan City, Ind., assignor to Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 340,865 2 Claims. (Cl. 105-368) This invention relates to a piggyback type railway car having a pedestal device mounted thereon for use in transporting vehicles in a sawtooth fashion. More specifically, the present invention relates to a foldable pedestal assembly mounted on a railway car of the piggyback variety, which adapts the car for use in transporting vehicles, such as trucks, in a sawtooth fashion. When not in use, the pedestal assembly is foldable to a flat position so the car may be fully utilized for other purposes.

The transportation arts are replete with various forms of supporting structures to assist in supporting vehicles during transit. Notwithstanding, the rather extensive development of the art, a perceptible vacancy exists in the area of pedestal devices of simplified form adapted to support vehicles during transit, and which may be conveniently folded to a flat storage position when not in use in order that the car may be fully utilized on the return trip to haul other forms of lading. In the past, when vehicles are to be hauled in a sawtooth fashion, special supports were required to be constructed on one end of the car, and oftentimes because of their temporary nature were rather crude, generally being fastened in place and requiring removal before the complete car could be used for other purposes. The erection and removal of such special supports is obviously time consuming and costly, as well as requiring the car to be out of service during the erection and removal periods. If the supports are not removed after the vehicles are unloaded. a portion of the valuable load space is lost on the return trip as well as limiting the particular application of the car. The fixed type support structure on the car prevented it from being used as a normal piggyback vehicle, unless loading was from the side or one end. Obviously, vehicles could not be driven across the car to adjacent cars in the normal course of piggyback loading and unloading because of the interference of the support structure.

The present invention relates to a pedestal assembly adapted to be mounted at one end of a railway car. A second. pedestal assembly is mounted at the same end spaced from the first a sufiicient distance so that both pedestals will be directly in the path of vehicle travel for reasons to become apparent. Each pedestal assembly is foldable to a locked upright position to support the front wheels of the first vehicle on the car, in order that successive vehicles may be angularly loaded in the familiar sawtooth fashion.

Suitable means is provided to facilitate collapsing of the pedestal assembly to a substantally flat position in order that the car may be fully utilized for other purposes. Additional means is provided to allow vehicles to pass easily over the pedestal assembly when in the folded down position. The pedestal assemblies are so constructed that they may be raised and lowered quickly and conveniently by a minimum amount of effort.

The present invention provides many advantages when implemented in the vehicle transportation field. It is of simplified and uncomplicated construction making it relatively inexpensive to manufacture, while providing the requisite structural load bearing characteristics necessary to accommodate the rather heavy vertical and lateral Notwithstanding these attributes of strength and structural simplicity it is also readily 3,242,880 Patented Mar. 29, 1966 ice foldable to a fiat compact position which enables vehicles to be driven over the deck of the railway car in the usual manner. This permits the scope of use of the railway car to be substantially enlarged when compared with prior cars having fixed supports thereon. Other advantages will become apparent upon a consideration of the more prominent objects to be achieved and the description of the pedestal assembly to follow.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved foldable pedestal assembly particularly adapted for use in piggyback hauling operations.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved pededstal assembly of uncomplicated design having suflicient strength to support the front wheels of a truck or similar vehicle in spaced relation to the deck of the associated railway car, thereby permitting the remaining vehicles to be loaded in a sawtooth fashion.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved foldable pedestal assembly of uncomplicated design particularly adapted for use on piggyback type railway cars, with the foldable pedestal assembly being provided with suitable locking means to facilitate lowering the pedestal assembly to a substantially flat position when not in use.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and improved foldable pedestal assembly of uncomplicated construction having suitable structure thereon for supporting vehicles when in the upright position and including ramp means provided at opposite ends thereof to allow vehicles to be driven over the pedestal assembly when folded to the fiat position.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a new and improved folding pedestal assembly having an adjustable wheel block which may be readily adjusted longitudinally of the supporting surface of the pedestal and removed when the pedestal is folded fiat.

Further and fuller objects will become readily apparent when reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a railway fiat car provided with the folding pedestal assembly of the present invention with a series of vehicles loaded in a sawtooth fashion thereon;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one end of the car showing one of the pedestal assemblies in the raised position and a folding ramp in the open position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the pedestal assembly folded to the flat position and the wheel block removed;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view taken generally along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 2, with the ramp closed and phantom lines to indicate the position of the pedestal assembly when folded flat;

FIG. 5 is an end view in elevation taken generally along the lines 55 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the pedestal at the outboard or looking end with the folding ramp moved to the closed position to cover the locking as sembly.

Referring now to FIG. 1, reference character 10 generally indicates a railway car having a generally flat deck portion 11 and low side portion 12. The overall contour of the car as viewed in elevation is commonly referred to as a fishbelly design wherein the vertical depth at the central region of the car is substantially greater than the end portions received over the truck assemblies 13 and 14. Suitable bridge plates 15 and 16 may be provided at diagonally opposite ends of the railway car 10 for use in the loading and unloading operation. The usual couplers indicated at 17 and 18 respectively, are provided at opposite ends of the railway car 10, being of conventional design and height from the rails. A cushioned type sliding sill may also be provided if desired to protect the lading from impacts in buff and draft.

A foldable pedestal assembly is indicated generally at and supports the right front wheel of a first vehicle 21. A second pedestal assembly (not shown) is provided on the opposite side of the car transversely in line with the first for supporting the left front wheel of the vehicle 21. Successive vehicles are loaded with the front wheels of each vehicle overlying the rearwardly projecting frame 22 of the preceding vehicle. Suitable blocks (not shown) are interposed between the frame and front of the vehicle to protect the suspension system of the vehicle. Each of the vehicles is anchored in place by means of chains 23 which tend to pull the front of the vehicle downwardly and forwardly onto the frame of the preceding vehicle. In the case of the first vehicle 21, the front end is urged downwardly against the pedestal assembly 20. A wheel wedge block 24 resists any tendency of the vehicle 21 to move or roll forwardly of the pedestal assembly 20 while the chain anchors resist rearward movement.

The schematic illustration of FIG. 1 clearly exemplifies the economy in the sawtooth method of vehicle loading, in that about twice as many vehicles may be hauled on a single car compared to methods wherein vehicles are lined up in a so-called bumper-to-bumper fashion. The vehicles may be loaded in the manner shown by any suitable method. As noted above, two pedestal assemblies 245 are provided on the railway car 10, both of which are identical in construction, and therefore in the interest of brevity detailed description will be'limited to one.

The details of the pedestal assembly 20 of FIG. 1 is best seen in the enlarged perspective view of FIG. 2, being illustrated in the upright position, ready to receive the vehicle 21 in the manner shown in FIG. 1. The pedestal assembly 20 generally includes outboard and inboard end leg assemblies 25 and 26 joined at the upper ends to a pedestal cover plate 27 through a pivoting or hinge type connection to be described more completely hereinafter. A diagonal brace assembly 28 is pivotably joined to the pedestal cover plate 27 at one end with the pivot axis being substantially in transverse alignment with the pivoting connection joining the pedestal cover plate 27 to the end leg portion 26.

The diagonal brace assembly 28 includes first and second diagonal brace members 29 and 30 on opposite sides of the end leg assemblies 25 and 26 with a central plate 31 joining the two beneath the pedestal cover plate 27 for transverse rigidification. Each of the lower ends of the diagonal braces 29 and 30 is provided with a suitable aperture 32 and 33 respectively, for slidably receiving a pair of transversely movable locking pins 34 and 35, which serve to maintain the pedestal assembly 20 in the upright position. The specific manner of mounting the locking pins 34 and 35 will be discussed hereinafter in greater detail.

The outboard end leg assembly 25 is formed of a pair of vertically disposed leg members 36 and 37 with the lower end of the leg members being pivotably attached to the deck in a manner to be described more completely. The upper ends of the leg members 36 and 37 are also pivotably attached to the pedestal cover plate 27 as at 38 .and 39, with each leg being received between fixed hinge lugs mounted on the underside of the pedestal cover plate 27. A transverse plate member 49 extends between the leg members 36 and 37 and is welded along its vertical marginal edges to each and is curled inwardly at its top portion at at 41 to form a spacing flange for the leg members 36 and 37. As seen in FIG. 3, a lower'flange 42 is provided at the lower extremity of the plate 40 with notches at the outer lower edges as at 43 to provide ample clearance for the associated fixed hinge structure to be described. Flanges 41 and 42 serve to provide mounting portions for vertically extending supports (not shown) disposed on the inboard side of the plate 40 in a manner to be described in connection with FIG. 6.

The inboard end leg assembly 26 is illustrated partially in FIG. 1 including first and second leg members 55 and 56 pivotably joined to the pedestal cover plate 27 in the manner described briefly in connection with the outboard leg assembly 25. A .transverse plate 57 joins the leg members 55 and 56 for stability and rigidity terminating slightly above the deck portion 11 and below the pedestal cover plate 27. The lower end of the leg member 55 is attached to the deck 11 by means of a pair of fixed hinge mounting lugs 58 and59 welded to the deck 11 in spaced relationship and receiving the apertured lower end of the leg member 55 therebetween, with a suitable hinge pin 60 joining the two for pivoting movement. The leg assembly 56 is attached to the deck 11 in an identical manner, and bears like reference characters as more clearly seen in the end elevational view of FIG. 5.

The locking structure and hinge construction for the end leg assembly 25 is more apparent in perspective view of FIG. 3. A pair of fixed outer hinge lugs 44 and 45 are mounted on the deck portion 11 in substantial parallelism. Each outer hinge lug is provided with longitudinally spaced apertures 46 and 47 at the inboard end thereof. A pair of inside hinge lugs 48 are positioned between the outer hinge lugs 44 and 45 with each inside hinge lug being slightly spaced from the associated outer hinge lug a sufficient amount to allow the leg members 36 and 37 forming a part of the end leg assembly 25 to be freely received therebetween. Suitable hinge pins are received in transversely aligned apertures in each of the hinge lugs and associated leg member to join the two for pivoting movement.

On each of the inside hinge lugs 48, an aperture 49 is provided in transverse alignment with the associated apertures 46 in each of the outer hinge lugs 44 and 45. The aligned apertures 49 and 46 serve as a bearing or guide for each of the locking pins 34 and 35 during locking and unlocking movement. Each of the outer hinge lugs 44 and 45 may be provided with a raised boss such as the one indicated at 50 on the lug 44. The boss 50 surrounds the aperture 46 to increase the total bearing area for the locking pin 44 to provide additional support since rather substantial forces are applied to the cantilevered end portion of the locking pin 34 when the pedestal assembly 20 is loaded.

Load forces tending to move the pedestal towards the outboard end of the car are resisted by the locking pins 34 and 35. A stop member 53 is welded to the deck 11 in longitudinal alignment with and adapted to abut the end of the diagonal brace 29 to prevent overtravel of the diagonal members when the pedestal is raised. The arcuate end portion on the diagonal brace 29 permits the aperture 32 to be aligned with the locking pin 34 for easy insertion when the pedestal is moved to the upright position as illustrated in FIG. 2 to enhance the ease of locking. A similar stop member is provided for opposite diagonal brace 30, being indicated in FIG. 2 at 53' and serving the same function as the stop 53 previously described.

As mentioned above each of the fixed inside hinge lugs 48 are of identical construction as are the fixed outer hinge lugs 44 and 45. The construction and operation of the locking arrangement is also identical and therefore description will be limited to the locking arrangement including the locking pin 34. A first locking pin stop is provided at 50 in order to limit the total transverse movement of the locking pin 34, being sufficient to allow Withdrawal of the end of the pin 34 from the aperture 32 in the diagonal brace, but preventing the pin from being completely withdrawn from the supporting apertures 46 and 49. This serves to protect the locking pin 34 from being intentionally or unintentionally removed.

A second locking pin stop 51 is mounted on the deck 11 at right angles with respect to the stop 50 and as best seen in FIG. 2, cooperates with a handle 52 on the inner end of the locking pin 34. When the pin is in the locked position as shown, the handle abuts the locking stop 51, preventing the locking pin 34 from being withdrawn from the aperture 32. When it becomes desirable to withdraw the pin 34 the handle 52 is rotated to a generally vertical position to clear the locking pin stop 51 and then moved axially towards the first locking pin stop 50 to Withdraw the end of the locking pin 34 from the aperture 32. The same operation is effected on the locking pin 35 and the pedestal may then be collapsed to the position shown in FIGURE 3.

The simplified locking arrangement prevents unintentional movement of the locking pin when in the locked position with an additional safeguard being provided by the entire locking assembly being covered by a folding ramp 54 protecting the same from damage as vehicles are driven over the collapsed pedestal assembly 20. The folding ramp 54 serves an additional function in that it prevents the handle 52 on the locking pin from being moved to the upright or unlocked position when the pedestal assembly is in the upright position and the ramp covers the locking assembly. This will be more evident when description of FIGS. 4-6 is given. The pedestal cover plate 27 is provided with a series of apertures 90' symmetrically arranged with respect to the cover plate longitudinal center line. As seen in FIG- URES 3-5 a pair of spaced pins 91' and 92' project downwardly from the wheel wedge block 24. The wedge block 24 includes an inverted V shaped portion 93 joined to a base 94 to form a substantially triangular section. Each of the pins extends through the base 94 to the apex of the triangle with a cross brace 95 controlling the transverse spacing of the pins to permit easy insertion into the apertures 90'. A chain 96 may be provided to join the wedge block 24 to the cover plate to prevent misplacing the wedge block 24 then not in use.

The folding ramp assembly 54 includes a cover plate 61 having one end portion 62 formed of generally triangular cross section. A downward extending flange 63 is provided at the opposite end being of reduced transverse dimension with respect to the overall width of the plate 61 to clear the inside lugs forming a part of the hinge and locking assembly when the ramp is folded over the locking assembly. A series of longitudinally extending reinforcing members 64, 65 and 66 extend between the flange 63 and the triangular shaped end portion 62 to strengthen the central section of the plate 61.

A pair of lug members 67 and 68 are mounted on opposite sides of the end 62 of the folding ramp assembly 54, and adapted to carry a transversely extending hinge pin 69 to support the ramp assembly 54 for folding movement.

The fragmentary perspective view of FIG. 6 illustrates the folding ramp assembly 54 in the closed or operative position, exposing a tubular member 70 welded in the triangular end portion 62 to form a part of the hinge assembly mounting the folding ramp 54 on the deck 11. The hinge pin 69 is loosely received in the tubular member 7 0 so that the low end of the ramp assembly 54 rests on the deck portion 11, thereby protecting the hinge from being bent by the load applied to vehicles being driven thereover. The marginal edges of the plate 61 rest on the outside hinge lugs 44 and 45 to enclose the entire locking structure. Also seenin FIG. 6 are the vertically extending supports 110, 111 and 112 which extend between the flanges 41 and 42 to reinforce the plate 40 on the end leg assembly 25.

In the side elevational view of FIG. 4 the folding ramp 54 is also illustrated in the closed position with the plate 61 overlying the end portion of the locking pin handle 52. It is evident that the handle 52 on locking pin 35 is restrained from upward movement since it will engage the underside of the folding ramp assembly 54. Thus the locking pin 34 is positively prevented from becoming unintentionally unlocked when the pedestal is in the upright position and the ramp assembly 54 covers the locking structure.

A fixed ramp assembly indicated by the reference numeral 71 is formed of plate material being bent to the shape shown and welded or otherwise suitably attached to the deck 11. Suitable reinforcing plates may be provided to give the fixed ramp assembly 71' the requisite structural strength. The fixed ramp assembly 71' is positioned inboard of the pedestal assembly 20, an amount slightly in excess of combined distance between hinge pin centers on the leg 55 plus the dimension of the overhang from the upper hinge pin. Thus, when the pedestal assembly 20 is folded to the flat position, as shown in phantom in FIG. 4, the inboard end of the pedestal cover plate 27 will be in close proximity to the fixed ramp 71' to provide a continuous vehicle wheel supporting surface.

The specific manner in which the diagonal brace 29 is connected at its upper end to the pedestal cover plate 27 and end leg assembly 26 is best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. The upper end portion of each of the leg members 55 and 56 is of uniform construction with each having a spacer plate 71 and 72 provided on opposite sides with the inside diameter of each plate being coextensive with the hinge pin aperture in the leg in order to increase the bearing area for good load distribution on the hinge pin. A hinge pin 74 extends through the upper end of the diagonal brace 30 inwardly through the leg member 55 and fixed hinge lugs 75 and 76 mounted on the underside of the pedestal top cover plate 27. The inner end of the hinge pin 74 is in abutment with a channel shaped rigidifying member 77 which extends substantially the length of the cover plate between the end leg assemblies 25 and 26. The outer end of the hinge pin 74 is retained by means of an S-shaped pin retainer 78 which is attached to an extension bracket 79 mounted substantially coextensive with the side flange 80 of the pedestal top cover plate 27. As noted above, the leg member 56 is mounted in an identical manner and therefore in the interest of brevity further description will be withheld.

The central section of the top cover plate is strengthened by means of a longitudinal channel member 81 which is attached to a downwardly projecting end flange portion 84 joined to the top cover plate. A second fiange 85 is joined below the flange 84 extending outwardly to form a horizontally extending bracket portion terminating at 86 and extending transversely of the cover plate between the bracket extensions 79. An angle member 87 also extends between the bracket extensions '79 to form a box-like cross brace to rigidify the inboard end structure of the pedestal cover plate 27.

Each of the side flanges on the pedestal cover plate 27 is cutaway as at 38 in the flange 80 to accommodate the transverse plate 31 on the diagonal brace assembly when the pedestal is folded to the flat position. This will become more apparent when the discussion of the operation of the device is given.

The lower end of the leg member 55 is also provided with spacer plates 90 and 91 welded on opposite sides thereof forming a hinge pin receiving bore 92 of substantial transverse width. A hinge pin 60 is received in the bore 83 and extends through the hinge mounting lugs 58 and 59 being retained at opposite ends by means of wrought washers 66 welded to the outside of the mounting lugs and the pin. Each of the remaining leg members on the inboard and outboard leg assemblies 25 and 26 utilize a similar construction to that specifically described in connection with leg member 55.

When the pedestal assembly 20 is not in use, ordinarily it will be folded in the fiat position shown in FIG. 3 with the ramp assembly 54 closed to cover the locking and hinge assembly. The wedge block 24 is ordinarily removed under these circumstances and placed in the central portion of the car to provide an unobstructed path for vehicles driving over the car. The pedestal is exceedingly compact when folded flat, only occupying a few inches of space vertically on the deck and thereby permitting free use of the car for purposes other than hauling vehicles in the manner shown in FIG. 1.

As pointed out previously, the cutaway portion 88 in the side flange 80 of the pedestal cover plate 27 permits the pedestal to be folded completely fiat whereby the flanges on the pedestal cover plate will rest on the deck portion with the cutaway portion 88 accommodating the transverse brace 31 in the diagonal brace assembly 28. With each of the pedestals folded flat, loaded vehicles may freely drive across the railway car 10 without fear of damage to the pedestal.

When the pedestal assembly 20 is to be used for supporting purposes, it is raised to the position shown in FIG. 1 and the locking pins 34 and 35 pushed outwardly to be received in the apertures 32 and 33 in the diagonal brace assembly. The handle 52 on the locking pin is rotated to the down position as shown in FIG. 1 to preclude any inward movement of the associated locking pin, and the folding ramp assembly 54 covering the locking structure is folded to the closed position illustrated in FIG. 6.

The wheel wedge block may be placed at any point along the top of the pedestal cover assembly, and loading may then be commenced. The first vehicle 21 is loaded in the manner shown in FIG. 1 and successive vehicles are placed in the manner specifically described above in connection with FIG. 1. The lower end of the chain anchors are adjustably attached in a runner 98 provided inwardly adjacent each pedestal assembly and extending longitudinally of the car. Suitable slots 99 may be provided in the runners to allow adjustable connection of the anchor chains thereto in a manner well known in the art.

Buff and draft forces ordinarily will be absorbed by the cushioned draft gear if provided, or in the case of the car without a cushion draft means, impacts to the car will not disturb the vehicles because of the secure manner in which they are mounted. The pedestal cover plate is of sufficient strength to accommodate not only the vertical loads applied by the weight of the vehicle but also the longitudinal loads tending to collapse the pedestal plate in one direction or the other. The chain 23 maintains the front wheel of the first vehicle 21 tightly against the wedge block so that all of the vehicles are precluded from movement longitudinally of the car in either direction.

Although the foregoing description has been limited to a single modification, numerous departures may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, any limitations imposed should be within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A railway car of the low side and fiat deck variety including pedestal support means mounted on said deck for use in hauling a vehicle, said pedestal support means including a vehicle pedestal cover plate adapted to support the end of the vehicle in an elevated position, a first end leg assembly pivotally joined at opposite ends thereof with said deck portion and one end of said pedestal cover plate, a second end leg assembly pivotally attached at opposite ends with said deck portion and the other end of said cover plate, said leg assemblies and cover plate forming generally an upright pivotal structure extending above the deck in an upright position to support the elevated end of the vehicle on the pedestal support means while the other end of the vehicle rests on the deck and swingable substantially to a flat folded position against the deck, diagonal brace means pivotally connected to the cover plate and extending diagonally downward to said deck portion, releasable locking means cooperating with said diagonal brace means to maintain said pedestal cover plate in the upright position and ramp means mounted on the deck and adjacent said pedestal support means and having support surface means for receiving the vehicle thereover, said surface means lying generally in a plane to accommodate travel of the vehicle between the deck and the ramp means and the cover plate in the flat folded position of the pedestal support means, said ramp means including a folding ramp assembly mounted on the deck at one side of the pedestal support means and covering said releasable locking means in the flat folded position and a fixed ramp assembly mounted on the deck on the other side of the pedestal support means to permit vehicles to drive over said pedestal support means when said support means is in the flat folded position.

2. A railway car of the low side and flat deck variety including pedestal support means mounted on said deck for use in hauling a vehicle, said pedestal support means including a vehicle pedestal cover plate adapted to support the end of the vehicle in an elevated position, a first end leg assembly pivotally joined at opposite ends thereof with said deck portion and one end of said pedestal cover plate, a second end leg assembly pivotally attached at opposite ends with said deck portion and the other end of said cover plate, said leg assemblies and cover plate forming generally an upri ht pivotal structure extending above the deck in an upright position to support the elevated end of the vehicle on the pedestal support means while the other end of the vehicle rests on the deck and swing able substantially to a fiat folded position against the deck, diagonal brace means pivotally connected to the cover plate and extending diagonally downward to said deck portion, releasable locking means cooperating with said diagonal brace means to maintain said pedestal cover plate in the upright position and ramp means mounted on the deck and adjacent said pedestal support means and having support surface means for receiving the vehicle thereover, said surface means lying generally in a plane to accommodate travel of the vehicle between the deck and the ramp means and the cover plate in the flat folded position of the pedestal support means, said ramp means including a folding ramp assembly pivotally mounted on the deck and covering said releasable locking means in the flat folded position of the pedestal support means.

References fitted by the Examiner UNITEDv STATES PATENTS 1,780,277 11/1930 Seeley et a1. 368 2,064,975 12/1936 Hann 105-368 2,066,714 1/ 1937 Butterworth 105368 2,317,894 4/1943 Doty 297-338 2,780,276 2/1957 Valente 297338 3,147,040 9/ 1964 Easterbrook 297-338 3,167,288 1/1965 Farabaugh 105-368 3,195,475 7/1965 Peterson 105-368 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,297,191 5/1962 France.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT Primary Examiner.

D. E. HOFFMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RAILWAY CAR OF THE LOW SIDE AND FLAT DECK VARIETY INCLUDING PEDESTAL SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID DECK FOR USE IN HAULING A VEHICLE, SAID PEDESTAL SUPPORT MEANS INCLUDING A VEHICLE PEDESTAL COVER PLATE ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE END OF THE VEHICLE IN AN ELEVATED POSITION, A FIRST END LEG ASSEMBLY PIVOTALLY JOINED AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF WITH SAID DECK PORTION AND ONE END OF SAID PEDESTAL COVER PLATE, A SECOND END LEG ASSEMBLY PIVOTALLY ATTACHED AT OPPOSITE ENDS WITH SAID DECK PORTION AND THE OTHER END OF SAID COVER PLATE, SAID LEG ASSEMBLIES AND COVER PLATE FORMING GENERALLY AN UPRIGHT PIVOTAL STRUCTURE EXTENDING ABOVE THE DECK IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION TO SUPPORT THE ELEVATED END OF THE VEHICLE ON THE PEDESTAL SUPPORT MEANS WHILE THE OTHER END OF THE VEHICLE RESTS ON THE DECK AND SWINGABLE SUBSTANTIALLY TO A FLAT FOLDED POSITION AGAINST THE DECK, DIAGONAL BRACE MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE COVER PLATE AND EXTENDING DIAGONALLY DOWNWARD TO SAID DECK PORTION, RELEASABLE LOCKING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID DIAGONAL BRACE MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID PEDESTAL COVER PLATE IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND RAMP MEANS MOUNTED ON THE DECK AND ADJACENT SAID PEDESTAL SUPPORT MEANS AND HAVING SUPPORT SURFACE MEANS FOR RECEIVING THE VEHICLE THEREOVER, SAID SURFACE MEANS LYING GENERALLY IN A PLANE TO ACCOMMODATE TRAVEL OF THE VEHICLE BETWEEN THE DECK AND THE RAMP MEANS AND THE COVER PLATE IN THE FLAT FOLDED POSITION OF THE PEDESTAL SUPPORT MEANS, SAID RAMP MEANS INCLUDING A FOLDING RAMP ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON THE DECK AT ONE SIDE OF THE PEDESTAL SUPPORT MEANS AND COVERING SAID RELEASABLE LOCKING MEANS IN THE FLAT FOLDED POSITION AND A FIXED RAMP ASSEMBLY MOUNTED ON THE DECK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PEDESTAL SUPPORT MEANS TO PERMIT VEHICLES TO DRIVE OVER SAID PEDESTAL SUPPORT MEANS WHEN SAID SUPPORT MEANS IS IN THE FLAT FOLDED POSITION. 